I Don't Think We're As Rare As We Think

[Zeke]

A good and well thought out piece, but I feel the need to defend my comments re associated philias.
So far, in 14 studies out of 21 I've read (and I have more) the initial and outward subject has been either paraphilia or pedophilia, it soon becomes obvious that the academic who published has been reading all the other papers and are blinkered into believing the same basic and plain wrong belief that all infantile regressive behaviour is purely sexual in nature (the initiator) and almost always connected to some kind of disorder (the drive to escalate).
The best I have found so far to describe many but no way near all of us is as having a regressive dissociative disorder, in which some of us genuinely have a seperate little+ personality. But, this then gets strongly associated with schizophrenia which it simply is not.
My point is there does not seem to be an academic out there in A, the right field, or B, with the ability to seriously look beyond what has gone before, rather than just put THEIR spin on it to get publishing cudos.
For my 2p worth, I DO believe there's sufficient population, now, and also due to other very well observed comments regards childlike behaviour phenomenon, for someone to pick up an unbiased baton and run with something original and well thought out and actually about the subject
Grrrr grrrr..... I'll calm down now, relax and just let go, there that's better, I now need my nappy changing

That’s what academics do in their “publish or perish” mentality of modern academia. They often rehash the conclusions and data from previous “studies” in order to save their lack of original concepts butt.

 

[caitianx]

If this is in the wrong place, my fault.

I had the thought today that we're not as rare as we think. This past year began with pangs of regret. I've come to the realization that many people in my social circle are aware of my choice to wear diapers and my identity as a "little" (even though I have my own personal qualms with that definition of myself). At first, that dawning on me was hard. I felt ostracized -- like it would follow me for the rest of my life as long as I remain in the area.

At one point, I was a relatively active presence in the music scene and the sheer number of people who are aware of me weighed on me -- as if it was a matter of time before I gained a little popularity and then someone would come for me from the rafters and it would be all over social media that I enjoy a different kind of underwear and lifestyle.

It hasn't been all bad, though! Or even bad at all! Those anxieties eventually fade (and they did) as you go about your life and realize you're gonna spend the majority of your life not interacting with the people you grew up with (usually). What I was left with is the realization that, because I was so open, I actually accidentally became kind of a safe space for many ABDL/Littles in my area. We didn't all become fast friends or start having playdates (this is something I prefer to share with a partner because the lines between sexual and non-sexual for me are a little thin) but we were friends before and they came forward in a gesture of trust and understanding that I was like them.

It has been several, several people. I may not be able to attend high school reunions or feel safe developing my music career too close to home.. but what I've unlocked in exchange feels like a solid understanding of the sheer amount of littles/ABs/Pups/etc that are out there. I chose to be open about my things and put myself in harm's way to be a beacon for people who were like me and I've realized I can throw a rock and hit a little/ab/pup/something. That's probably true around every major city, but I've grown up seeing so much discourse on this website and others.

When I was a kid it was estimated that there were tens of thousands of us. Maybe a hundred thousand! Then when I was older it felt like I was meeting a lot of people like me for it to be such a small number. It's been a long journey since I was a child pre-ADISC, pre-TBDL.org, pre-all this I know now, thinking I must be the only person on the planet like this. What I *do* know now, though, is that there are *far* more of us than we think there are. It's more than tens or hundreds of thousands. It's more than a million. You may not know it or feel like This Thing of Ours is very popular. I know it feels very out there... but, if you live in or near a major city, I want you to know you can throw a rock and hit someone like you. I've extracted many from the woodwork and the headcount of just "littles" alone is simply impressive. If you flip a coin and say 51% of littles wear diapers, that means I've likely met 10-20 AB/DLs in just my immediate area.

I know we're not alone and we have this beautiful community.. I'm thankful that it's tight-knit and insulated, and I don't want us to be mainstream, but I think I've seen enough evidence that "at least" littles are actually pretty common. And if half of them wear diapers by a rule of thumb, that still puts ABDLs in the "relatively common" camp. I think we've graduated from being a completely obscure, shadowy internet niche to being a quiet but relatively common subculture/kink. I know newer/younger littles/ABDLs might feel like it was always like that because they've had the internet as it is now for their whole lives... but us "elder millennials" and beyond who grew up with like, three whole websites confirming our existence for the first 20 years of the internet can appreciate this observation/development.

Like it or not, for decades, the AB/DL thing has been an unspoken of dirty little secret of the "Adult" Disability Community.

 

[Sundae]

If i go through and count how many people ive told from my friends group, i have told 11 people. 1 didnt like it. 2 were also abdl. 1 isnt abdl but enjoys abdl things, and the rest were all varying degrees of ok with it.

 

[MaxDL]

For me, I don't think in my circle of friends I have others with a diaper stash at home lol

 

[Zeke]

For me, I don't think in my circle of friends I have others with a diaper stash at home lol

You don’t suppose that there may be those in that circle of friends that may be thinking the same about you do you???

 

[MaxDL]

You don’t suppose that there may be those in that circle of friends that may be thinking the same about you do you???

Yes.. I suppose. according to me no one supposes that I am a little from sometimes, as already said here, we are far from being alone .. there are many companies specializing in articles for big "kid" like me or us .. . and stores on street .. if they exists, I know I am not alone ... since I am in my double life, (adult/Little) I always wonder if .. him or him is not also an ABDL out the camera .. maybe .. I would really like a friend of mine to be an ABDL..